These days, you only need to be remotely tuned to the news media to realize that the use of prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs is frequently more hazardous to our health than helpful. When government agencies are no longer considered capable of overseeing multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industries and families’ lives and health are in jeopardy because of it—we have a serious crisis at hand.

Thankfully, parents are no longer trusting that agencies and industries are working in their best interest. Informed parents are taking the initiative to seek natural, safe ways to restore health and well being for themselves and their children. Tired of the dying paradigm—suppressing symptoms with drugs and surgery—today’s parents want solution-based wellness care that is safe and effective.

We are truly living in the age of information; parents are privy to knowledge previously kept from the public. The Internet allows the public to explore and research information on their own—as opposed to being misled by persuasive advertisements on TV. Practitioners and consumers are challenging the legitimacy of the entire system as numerous drugs and procedures "proven safe and effective" are turning out to be not-so-effective and—even worse—unsafe. "Evidenced-based" research and practices based on it no longer carry authority because the foundation of their integrity is in question. Rather than relying on industries that substantiate their own products/interests through biased trials, consumers are demanding care that offers their families true results with improved quality of life.

Additionally, it is becoming evident that the insurance industry is not supporting our rights to choose wellness for our families. The question arises: Why are they not covering wellness care that prevents further sickness and disease and rather continuing to cover services with questionable efficacy that frequently lead to greater health problems? Faced with this industry’s reluctance to provide benefits for true health care, parents are opting out of policies covering drug and unused visits. By doing so, they are saving on monthly premiums and investing these dollars into more holistic and safer family care.

Natural-based care cannot compete with the pharmaceutical industries’ seemingly unlimited ability to advertise on TV. It is through testimonials from satisfied people whose quality of life has been improved that the life changing results of natural care are promoted. Hearing personal experiences often propels individuals to step away from slick pharmaceutical advertising ploys and search for real practical health care. What each and every one of us has experienced with wellness care needs to be made known.

It is truly a time of change and momentum in the right direction. Parents are claiming the rights and responsibilities for their families’ health. Today’s families are participating in wellness lifestyle changes that are making a huge impact on their present and future well-being. We doctors of chiropractic should be proud to play our unique role in offering information and services that support the family wellness lifestyle. Our respect and appreciation of parents’ rights to choose wellness will keep us in the forefront of the evolving public demand for wellness care.

Dr. Jeanne Ohm instructs internationally on the topic "Chiropractic Care for Pregnant Women and Children." She is executive coordinator of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association and can be reached via their website at www.icpa4kids.com